1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for performing an electrosurgical procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an electrosurgical apparatus including an end effector assembly having a pair of jaw members with a jaw insert providing a mechanical advantage at the end effector while maintaining an electrical insulative barrier between seal plates associated with the jaw members and one or more of operative components associated with the end effector.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrosurgical instruments, e.g., electrosurgical forceps (open or closed type), are well known in the medical arts and typically include a housing, a handle assembly, a shaft and an end effector assembly attached to a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes jaw members configured to manipulate tissue (e.g., grasp and seal tissue). Typically, the electrosurgical instrument is operatively and selectively coupled to an RF power source (e.g., RF generator) that is in operative communication with a control system for performing an electrosurgical procedure. Electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to effect hemostasis by heating the tissue and blood vessels to coagulate, cauterize, seal, cut, desiccate, and/or fulgurate tissue.
Typically, the jaw members include a respective highly conductive seal plate and are pivotably coupled to one another via one or more mechanical interfaces that provide a point of pivot for one or both of the jaw members. For example, in certain instances, a cam slot including a cam pin operably disposed therein and a pivot pin may be operably coupled to the end effector and/or one or both of the jaw members. In this instance, the cam slot, cam pin and pivot pin collectively pivot and close one or both of the jaw members. For added structural integrity, the cam slot, cam pin and pivot pin may be fabricated from metal. However, because the metal typically utilized in fabricating the cam slot, cam pin and pivot pin is highly conductive, the cam slot, cam pin and pivot pin need to be electrically insulated from the seal plates associated with the respective jaw members.
In certain instances, to facilitate moving the jaw members from an open position for grasping tissue to a closed position for clamping tissue (or vice versa) such that a consistent, uniform tissue effect (e.g., tissue seal) is achieved, one or more types of suitable devices may be operably associated with the electrosurgical forceps. For example, in some instances, one or more types of springs, e.g., a compression spring, may operably couple to the handle assembly associated with the electrosurgical forceps. In this instance, a spring is typically operatively associated with a drive assembly to facilitate actuation of a movable handle associated with the handle assembly to ensure that a specific closure force between the jaw members is maintained within one or more suitable working ranges.
An increased mechanical advantage and/or mechanical efficiency with respect to transferring the closure force(s) from the handle assembly to the jaw members while maintaining an electrical insulative barrier between the seal plates associated with the jaw members may prove advantageous in the relevant art.